Shoe-sole support.



EATB'NTBD AUG. 4, 1908. J. W. ARROWSMITH.

Inventor:

ukwww i To all whom it may concern:

JAMES 1T. ARROWS MITH, OF MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

snore-some: SUPPORT.

Specification Letters Patent.

"Patented. Aug. 4, 1908.

Application filed Hrember 17, 1906. Serial No. 343,912.

Be itknown that I, lures W. Annowsnnu, a citizen of the United States, and a. resident of Morristown. in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful In: rovements in Shoe-Sole Supports, of which 1 to following is a. specification.

'1\ly invention relates to improvements in boots and shoes and particularly to devices "intended 't-obe incorporated in the sole of the b'oot or shoe for the purpose of reinforcing orsupporting the some Its ob ects are, among others. to provide a strong and durable support for the oruon of *the sole connecting the heel and t 1e ball of shoe from stretching and the sole, which may be fitted or adjusted to shoes of'diilerent sizes and styles or made in uniform sizes and shnpes as desired and which will'form a serviceable and ellicicnt support, preserving the shape of the shoe, increasing its durability and giving beneficial results to the wearer,

The-invention is illustrated in theaccomponying drawings in which Figure 1, is a plan view of my sole support with the sole of the shoe shown in dotted lines to show the location of the said support therein; Fig 2 is a vertical section of a shoe sole with the support therein; Fig. 3 is an underside viewof the support; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of tee same on the line 4-.+ 4, of Fig. 1.

'lnthe ,ordinnry construction 01 a boot or shoe the heel and sole rope: are connected by a. shank of strips 0 emnpsrntively thin leather which are not ear-aide of sustaining any considerable weight 3.1!! on this account a. metal tongue is sometimes inserted in the sole at this part for the purpose of stiffening the some and causing it to retain its propcr shape until worn a short time- This tongue or "stitl'oner is usually a fist narrow strip of metal and does not prevent the SUlU of the becoming flattened and thus losing its originnlshspc and appearance. ltis very undcsirnhie u have n thick orhcnvy piece of motel in Zl1v3 nlnf the shoe and the reduced width of the sole beneath the instep preventsthe use of a strip wide enough to have any ell'cctive strengtlu The result is that alter the shoe has be": worn a short tim and especially when it worn by a person having a. low instep. the shoe loses its proper slmpc at this partith my support, however, the sole of the shoe is 1por which the supportis made.

ported and its original shape is preseri ed until the shoe is worn out, and the wearer is thus given the benefit of the new appearance of the shoe and the support and'couifort due to the preservation of its natural shape at the instep. Not only this, but by a very slight adjustment of the support the part of the sole beneath the instep may be made to fit the size and shape of the foot of the average person.

The sole of the shoe consists of the lowerand outer sole G, and the up or and inner' sole'F, to which are atlnchcrfin the usual manner the heel H and the upper 1.

The support is concave-convex in fornl' having two spatulnte ends A and B connect ed by a neck J. Near the ends are provided perforations A and B which may be emplayed to receive rivets or other menus for securing the sup )ort to the sole of the shoes T he enlarged em Alias an outwardly turned portion at its extreme end which is adapted to rest upon the sole of the shoe and form a base or foot for the forward end, while the enlarged end B is formed on lines corresponding approximately with the curve of the heel but diverges sullicicntly from said curve to leavea slight space for the support to flex under the pressure of the foot. The. extreme forward edge of the enlarged part A is nearer to it straight line than the relweilge of the part B and is disposed at on single to a. line drawn crosswise through the center of the support. This peculiar formation of the end ass "ts in causing the support to retain its position in the sole and to properly sustain the weight of the wenrer.

The upper surfnce of the support is curved on a l'lHlIUS about equal to the distance from the heel to the ball of the foot of the wearer, or in other words from the cnlcnneuln to the forward end of the first metatarsal, but this curve may be varied within certain bounds to suit the wearer. It is supported by the ends A and B and the webs .l and D, which are formed oi'intcgral portions of the. metal The web D has its deepest portion E'- slightly in advance of the center of the support and the web D at its corres )OIltllllg portion slightly heck of the some. he two webs begin at the ends A and B and gradually increase in width toward the center, so that. thcstrcngthenlng olloct' increases toward thorcnlcr of the support: and in this manner an arch of increasing and diminishing strength is formed. The double arch or the support enables it to sustain great weight andto maintain its original shape through long ifiTtindits eculiar format-ion adapts it to the shape of t e foot and to the resistance to the weight of the samein exactly the proper manner.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the characterdescribed, in combination with the sole of a shoe composed of a plurality of layers, a supporting device located between said layers and extending from the heel to the sole proper consisting of a strip of metal of substantially uniform thickness having flared flattened ends and a narrower connecting portion, having a convex upper surface and a correspondingly concave under-surfae uniform varying from end to end.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination with the sole of a shoe com- ;osed of a plurality of layers, a supporting evice located between said layers and eattending from the heel to the sole proper con sisting of a'strip of metal of substantially uniform thickness and cross sectional area arched u wardl from end to end and from side to si e and aving its greatest transverse diameters near its ends.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination with the sole of a shoe composed of a'plurality of layers, a supporting device located between said layers and extending-from the heel to the sole proper consisting of a strip'of metal of substantially uniform thickness. and cross sectional area arched upwardly from end to end and from side to side at its middle portion, the said middle portion being narrower than the-ends and entirely above the same.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination with. the sole of a shoe composed of a plurality of layers, a supporting device located between said layers and extending from the heel to the sole proper consisting of a strip of metal of substantially uniform thickness and cro sectional area arched upwardly from end to end and from side to side on a radius gradually decreasing toward the middle.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination with the sole of a shoe comtending from the heel to the sole proper consisting of a strip of metal of substantially uniform thickness and cross sectional arm and superficial area. throughout, but being wider horizontally at the ends than at the middle portion and concavo-convcx at all points between said heel and sole, he convex surface being upward.

6. in a device of the character described, in combination with the sole of a shoe composed of a plurality of layers, a supporting device between said layers and extending;

from the heel to the sole proper consisting of thickness having flared ends and a narrower.

portion at one extreme flared end, the reconnecting portion and a horizontally turned maindcr of said-strip being curved upwardly from side to side on a small and constantly' varying radius and from end to end on a grca ter radius 7. vin a (lCVlCO or the character descrmeo,

a supporting device adapted to be placed between the layers composing the so e and cxtending from the heel to the sole proper con 'sisting of a strip of metal of substantially uniform thickness having flared ends and a narrower intermediate portion, one of the said ends having its extreme outer edge horizontally turned and oblique to the longitudinal diameter of the strip 8. In a device of the character described, in

combination with the sole of a shoe composedof a pluralit of layers,- a supporting device adapted to e inserted between the layers and extending from the heel to the sole proper consisting of a strip of metal of substantially uniform thickness having flared ends and a narrowconvex middle portion, the convex surfaceof the middle portion terminating at different points on op osite sides of the su port at both ends but eing substantially t e same in extent longitudinally.

9. A device of the character comprising a piece of sheet metal curved upwardly from end to end on its upper su1.

face and from side to side at its mic le portion, the said transverse curve being on a radius gradually increasing from the center toward the ends and constantly varying.

10. A device of the character described cmnprisin a piece of sheet metal curved upwardly from end to end on its upper sur-.

( dle porface and from side to side at its mi tron, the said transverse curve being on a radius gradually increasing from the center toward the on s and bcing'irregular at all points except the centcr and constantly varying.

l]. A device of the character described romposcd of a piece of sheet metal of greater length than width and of substantialiy itho .szunc thickness throughout provided with posed of a plurahty of layers, a supporting device located between said layers and 'c.\'- I 12. A device. of the character described,

comprising a strip of metal of substantially uniform thickness and cross-sectional area arched from end to cud and from side to side on an irregular and constantly varying curve.

13. A device of the character described comprising a piece of sheet metal of substan- I Mama.

tially uniform thickness and superficial area throughoutarched u )ward from end to end 'and from sideto Slt 0, end portions of approximateh' the same horizontal diameter and remedial portion which gradually de creases in diameter from d endportious to the midd" '14. A device or the character described comprising a piece of sheet metal of substantially uniform thickness and superficial area throughout arched u )ward from end to end and from side to Sit e end portions of ap-' proximatel the same horizontal diameter and a me ial portion which gradually decreases in diameter from said end portions to the middle, a horizontally turncd'portion ,at the extremity of one of said end portions.

disposed obliquely to a line drawn through the longitudinal center of the device.

i comprising a piece of sheet metal of substanthroughoutarched from end to end through its longitudinal center and from side to side l t-ially uniform thickness and superficial area at itsmiddle part, the said side to side arc-it 15. A device of the character described 30 

